Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1887-01-13
49,
CuRIoSlTlES OF ICE.

NhriOub llHhes Uuu DiHcTent fiuceb.
Some years ago, neighbor brought
to the writer's study cake of ice
which he had cut from a water pail
Its top was like all such pieces Of ice,
but it had horn of ice growing from
it, and turning it over, the under side
showed that the horn was hollow, and
was filled with water when the cake
formed. 1t was brought as 'freak of
nature" but careful examination
showed how the horn was formed. The
pail of water stood IN a chair near a
stove, while the horn pointed directly
towards small hole in the wall oppo-
site. A current of air had swept across
the pail and so weakened the ice at
that point, and in expanding it had
burst at its weakest point.
Ice is q crystal, or better, great
mass Of cryslqls. The little bits Of ice
grow together in unc definite for
tlat of the frs-pointct star. a ct 70
pletc crystallis Il beautiful star. boi
most crystals are very incomplete, be-
ing broken up, or else several frozen
together into single mass. The form
of these crystals can be readily seen by
looking at pane of glass on frosty
morning, or by catching q few large
flakes upon fur collar.
Now, snow crystals are not simply
masses of frozen water they are much
less solid. They are formed when va
por condenscs In the upper regions of
air, much as dew is formed upon the
earth's surface, and they are frozen di
rectly from the vapor. Many reasons
tend to show that all the light, fleecy
clouds, seen at great heights, consist
of these snow masses still floating in
the air. So if any cold object is placed
before the vapor, mass OF snow forms
upon it. A board before an engines
escape pipe on a cold day soon becomes
coated with snow or frost. and the layer
grows as long as ii continues cold. The
ice often forms long spikes, all pointing
towards the escaping steam and grow
ing towards it. Such masses of ice
formed upon posts and stones on top
of Mount Washington, in New Hamp-
shire, some years since, four feet long.
ASstrong northwest wind was blowing
at the time, and the air was remark
ably damp. Soon after 1t commenced,
every object became coated with ice,
and on all the more prominent points
it continued to grow for two days.
The beautiful coatings Of ice which
cover trees and bushes in the winter
are formed in nearly the same way,
They come when the bushes and trees
are cold, while the air is u little warm
or and full Of moisture. Then the
branches and twigs quickly coat, tho
frost often accumulating until the tire,
caeries u load of tons. Thousands o.
forest and ornamental trees wer,
broken last spring, in the Eastern
States. by such load Of Ice. Thougl
called an ice storm, It differed from
many other storms only in its greater
severity and longer duration.
Perhaps the greatest curiosity in tn,
way of ice formation ever known wa
the loading Of the telegraph wires il
Siberia, few winters ago. Such NJ
ice storm occurred there, and the wire
were all coated. Then q rain followed
and long iclcles were formed, hangin,
from the wires. Soon the sun cam
out and melted the Ice on the top O
tho wires so that the ice turned aroun
the wires, making the cicles all poin
upwards like the teeth of n coml
Then the Ice again froze TO the wires
and there it remained for several days
until finally strong wind shook th
ice of. All these curious forms resu
from different conditions of condensi
tion.-LaRoy H. Griffin, IN Chicag
Current.